Carbureting process and apparatus



March 3, 1931. F. c. F. PORTAIL CA RBURETING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1927 Fig.2.

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. Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE FERNAND CHARLES rnnnnmc PORTAIL, F GENNEVILLIERs, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR r0 SOCIETE ANONYME LEVCARBONE, or PARIS, FRANCE CARBURETING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Application filed June 15, 1927, Serial No. 199,003, and in- Irance April 13, 1927.

In the volatile fuel carburetors now in use although the atomization may be improved due to theuse'of mechanical atomizers, and although in certain carburetors the volatile fuel has even been heated in order to assist in vapourizing it, a perfectly homogeneous mixture is not obtained. Instead there is formed a mixture of vapours, mist and air, which will not burn completely, so that a certain V proportion of the fuel is lost.

Now the object of the present invention is to prevent thisloss, and to obtain a complete utilization of the volatile fuel used, while at the same time improving the eificiency of the 5 motor.

The invention consists in principle,in producing a chemical decomposition of the fuel used in the presence of a special catalyzer,

after having heated it in a suitable manner.

The fuel is transformed into lighter and more of blocks or in a crushed state.

inflammable products, which mix better with the air and give a complete combustion, thereby increasing the efliciency of the motor, its consumption being reduced at the same time.

The catalyzer used in conformity with the present invention is extremely porous and very active carbon which may be in the form it is in a compact form and may be provided with small narrow ducts.

. into effect.

The fuel mixed with the quantity of air necessary for causing atomization is passed through the active carbon forming the catalyzer which is preferably at a temperature between 300 and 400 C. After passing through the catalyzer it is mixed with the air intended to ensure the combustion and is conducted to the motor. c V 1 i To enable the invention to be better under stood there have been. shown, in the accompanyin' diagrammatic drawings, given by, example only, two constructional -way 0 forms of the carbureting apparatus, by wh ch the processof the invention may be carried In these drawings i Figure 1 is a vertical section of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a modification.

Preferably of a casing of bronze, aluminum or other metal not subject to the attacks of theexhaust gases, which are admitted into said casing by a piping b, and passed ofi through another piping 0. In this casing there are located the tubes (1, for example of red copper in order to avoid breakages due to the effects of expansion.

These tubes are entirely or partially filled with active carbon in the form of cylinders e, which 'may be solid or provided with channels. In the examples shown it has been assumed that these cylinders are provided with a narrow axial conduit f.

The base of the body a is connected to'a diifuser g of suitable shape, into which there opens a fuel nozzle 7L. This latter is of the type adopted for use with ordinary carburetors and is fed from afloat chamber or other bonstant level chamber 2', and so constructed and located that it contains a reserve of fuel which may be rapidly utilized at the moment i when acceleration is effected.

The upperpart of the body a is connected to a conduit 7' through which the decomposed fuel mixed with the atomizing air flows. This conduit is provided in a diffuser lo, having the form of a Venturi tube, an induction piping Z communicating with the motor and provided with a butterfly valve m for regulation purposes. The apparatus is completed by a slow speed nozzle 12 arranged in any suitable manner, and connected by a tube 0 to the piping Z above the butterfly valve.

When starting up, the slow speed nozzle it operates in the same way as in an ordinary carburetor. It may-also be provided with a carbon catalyzer e having a narrow axial conduit f and be heated by any suitable means, as for example by the action of a battery 8 or other source of electricity upon an electric resistance t.

' When running normally the fuel atomized by the nozzle k, and mixed with the airen-: tering through the diifuser g, traverses the carbon catalyzers e, raised to a suitable temcausing a greater or lesser part of these gases to pass intothe body a. 1

The fuel in contact with the active carbon.

is decomposed into lighter and more inflam- 5 mable products. The parts not converted are vapourized by the heat. these products become mixed with the air entering the diffuser in through the ports 1), and the final result is that the mixture obtained is completely burnt up in the motor while developinga higher power than with the ordinary carburetors.

The air entering at p may be slightly heated for example, by coming in contact with the casing a,'so that in this way any condensation of the combustible vapours is prevented. If "the nozzle 72. is of the normal type the carbon cylinders a need not be channeled;

the fuel is compelled to traverse the carbon.

from bottom to top. However, in order to facilitate recoveries it is preferable in ..this

case to provide the cylinders with such conduitsor channels as have been shown at f.

The invention may be realized otherwise than according to the apparatus which has just been described. For exam le, the combustible maybe vapourized be ore it is caused to contact with the active carbon.

Figure 2 represents an exampleof this arangement. The apparatus is similar to that shown in Figure 1, except that it comprises separate means for vaporizing and decomposing the fuel. It comprises a group of tubes 9, containing copper wires or Wires of other metal, or metal shavings, etc., intended to vapourize the fuel. Y Y

Above these tubes there is provided'a plate of active carbon 6 provided or not with holes f.

.By means. of this arrangement the fuel reaches the carbon in the Furthermore, it is to a certain extent purified, becausethewires or shavings retain all impurities, such as asphalt. n

The new arrangements have not only the advantage as heretofore set fortli, of ensur= ing complete combustion, of avoiding losses but also of permitting the use of more or 'less impure fuels or mixture of fuels which do not behave in a satisfactory manner under ordinary circumstances, p

y The arliangementshcreinbefore described are only given by way ofiexample, as all the details of executlon and operatlon, the forms,

materials and dimensions can be varied with-.

The result is that orm of vapour.

of combustible and of augmenting eiiiciency,

- gweacsv' fuel to atemperature between 300 and 400 C.

2. In a carburetor for engines, means for producing a chemical decomposition of the volatile engine fueland comprising a catalyst 4 consisting of a plurality of masses of very active porous carbon, means for heating said catalyst'and volatile fuel to a suitable temperature, and means for causinga mixture of the volatile fuel and air to traverse said catalyst.

3. In a carburetor for engines, means for producing a chemical decomposition of the volatile engine fuel and comprising a catalyst consisting of solid blocks of very active'porous carbon, means for heating said catalyst and volatile fuel to a. suitable temperature, and means for causing a mixture of the volatile fuel and air to traverse said catalyst.

4. In acarburetor for engines, means for producing a chemical decomposition of the engine fuel and comprising a catalyst consisting of masses ofivery active porous carbon, means for heating said catalyst and fuel and a nozzle for leading the fuel and air to the catalyst, and a slow-speed nozzle opening into the carburetor beyond the catalyst.

5. In a catalyst for engines, means for producing a chemical decomposition of the engine fuel and comprising a catalyst consisting of masses of ver active porous carbon, means for heating said catalyst and fuel and a nozzle for leading the fuel and air to the catalyst, a slow-speed nozzle opening into the'carburetor beyond said catalyst, a catalyst for the slow-speednozzle consisting of very active porous carbon, and means for heating ice the slow-speed nozzle catalyst.

6. In a carburetor for engines, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, means for passing the exhaust gases from the engine through the casing, tubes in the casing. closed 105 to the exhaust gases, a cylinder of very active openings for'theadmission of air.

7. In a carburetor forengines, means for heating and vaporizing the volatile fuel, and means for chemically decomposing the volatile fuel comprising a catalyst consistingof me? very active porous carbon.

Ihe foregoing specification of my improvements in carbureting processes andap pagltus signed by me this 1st day of June FERRARI) CHARLES FREDERW PURTAHI.

consisting of very active porous carbon, and

05 means for heating said catalyst and ,volatile I ire 

